The Blockchain revolution in the ceramic industry

According to the European ECSO Observatory, “the construction sector is one of the least digitalized sectors in the entire economic landscape. At the same time, the integration of digital technologies is often seen as a key factor in addressing some of the main challenges the sector faces.”[1] In response to this increasingly widespread view, the Emilia-Romagna Region has included digitalization among the objectives of its Smart Specialisation Strategy (S3), which underpinned the 2021–2027 ERDF Programme, within which the project BLOCH4MAT – BLOckChain Technology for ceramic and construction MATerial supply chain – was funded [website].
The project, coordinated by Centro Ceramico, focuses on the development of a prototype Blockchain platform for the supply chains of ceramic tiles and slabs, clay bricks, and fibrous composite materials. The supply chain models for these materials, initially reconstructed by the technical partners (Centro Ceramico for ceramic materials and CIRI EC for fibrous composite materials) through analysis of production chains and consultation with the companies involved in the project (Tonalite, Wienerberger, Sacmi, Ardea Ingegneria), highlighted the existence of critical nodes and/or bottlenecks in the transmission of information among supply-chain stakeholders, particularly with regard to the outbound flow from the manufacturing company through the distribution network and up to end users, mainly designers, works managers and site managers.
The IT partners (TekneHub, InnovationChain and ACSoftware) then carried out a “digital transposition” of these supply chains onto a Blockchain-based IT platform, enabling simple visualization of the nodes in each chain, clear identification of the batch path (identified by a QR code), and efficient, notarized transmission of the documentation required from time to time by the various actors, guaranteeing traceability, transparency and security and recording every step in an immutable and shared manner.

The digital prototype developed was presented at a seminar at Cersaie 2025 and features a graphical interface that can be navigated differently by the various stakeholders:

• The manufacturer accesses a document-management dashboard that allows not only the uploading of certifications and declarations of performance, but also their notarization on the Blockchain, obtaining a unique hash (a digital fingerprint generated by an algorithm) and a certain timestamp (a digital record of the date and time when an event occurred). The system monitors expiry dates and validity, making it possible to manage the visibility of sensitive documents for distributors and professionals.
• The construction site designer has access to a dedicated portal for searching materials, which can be filtered, for example, by technical-compliance criteria and intended use. For each material, notarized documents can be viewed and downloaded, and technical data sheets and certifications of different products can be aggregated into a “Project Dossier.
• The distributor uses a mobile interface. By scanning the QR code on incoming batches, the distributor records receipt of the material and assigns it to the specific destination point of sale. This intermediate step ensures continuity of the chain of custody between production and retail sale. The distributor can also view the documents shared by the manufacturer relating to the product and the batch.
• The site manager, through the same mobile application, manages the final mile of the supply chain. The operator uniquely identifies the incoming batch by scanning the code, records its receipt at the specific construction site, and shares the GPS location. This closes the traceability loop, providing real data for estimating the final logistics impact. The site manager can also view the documents shared by the manufacturer relating to the product and the batch for which visibility has been enabled for this role.

In the coming months, work will focus on integrating Blockchain technology with BIM and with digital CE marking (SmartCE). For the ceramic sector, whose export-generated turnover exceeds 83%, the adoption of Blockchain technology can strengthen competitiveness by offering companies a digital tool capable of making flows more efficient and providing end users with complete digital mapping and transparent, notarized information on materials. In the future, Blockchain technology may also be applied within the production processes of the materials themselves, for use by companies and their suppliers.

(Article by Elisa Franzoni*, Valeria La Torre*, Maria Chiara Bignozzi*, Massimo Crepaldi**, Aristide Miceli**
published in "CER il giornale della ceramica" No. 414, Nov/Dec 2025). 

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Notes 
[1] European Observatory on the Construction Sector, “LDigitalisation in the construction industry”, Analytical report, April 2021; [*] Centro Ceramico, Sassuolo (MO); [**] ACSoftware Srl, Lamezia Terme (CZ).